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DANGERDOOM

The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)

To the average music fan, Dangermouse is the genius whose collision of Jay-Z with The Beatles, The Grey Album, earned him international recognition and the scorn of the RIAA. To the average music fan, MF Doom is the surreal, fucked-up genius rapper who joined forces with producer Madlib for the successful Madvillian project. To the hip-hop world, Dangermouse is an average producer riding a gimmick, and MF Doom is rapidly spending the credibility he earned as one of the fathers of modern indie rap by dropping an album a month. So overall, the duo's collaboration as DANGERDOOM, The Mouse and the Mask, is more for newer fans. But Doom doesn't phone it in: His tortured, bum-genius persona and bizarre topics are witty as always (and at their best on "Sofa King"). Those in for the craziness will appreciate the Adult Swim sponsorship, specifically on "Vats of Urine," which features the Moon People from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Dangermouse's beats sound about three years old  but would have been above average three years ago. Though not a classic, Mask is better than it has to be.